Railway control apparatus



Oct. 31,1967 s. J. WEISS RAILWAY CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 4, 1965 INVENTOR. 574N415) d. WE/SJ United States Patent ()fitice 7 3,350,558 RAILWAY CO TROL APPARATUS Stanley J. Weiss, Del Bonita, Alberta, Canada Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 423,217 S'Claims. (Cl. 246-126) This invention relates to railways and, more particularly, to railway control apparatus for improving the safety and operating efficiency of various railway systems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby, an electricity generating, overhead trolley locomotive can transmit energy to an electrically responsive mechanism remote from the locomotive as the locomotive approaches such mechanism, whereby such mechanism is operative independently of any external source of power.

A further object of the present invention is to provide railway control apparatus of the type described which is especially useful in remote locations not ordinarily supplied with electrical power, thus minimizing the cost for utilizing such electrically operated equipment and avoiding the necessity of having to run external power lines thereto.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide railway control apparatus of the aforementioned type which is extremely simple in construction, can be readily installed in any desired section of track, and can be used for both permanent and emergency situations.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a section of trackway equipped with railway control apparatus made in accordance with the present invention, in actual use;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the track section shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of a locomotive travelling along the trackway as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, showing details of construction; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a section of track equipped with control apparatus made in accordance with the present invention but used for actuating a switch gear.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 3 thereof, a specially equipped section of railroad track made in accordance with the present invention, is shown to include an overhead cable 12 mounted upon supporting cables 14 extending transversely of the tracks 18 and carried upon the upper ends of spaced poles 16. For purposes of illustration, this special section 10 is shown on both sides of a railroad grade crossing 20 which is equipped with electrically responsive signal lights and sounding mechanisms 22 for warning approaching motorists of the approach or passage of a locomotive 30 drawn train.

The signal units 22 are electrically connected on one side by means of a feed line 24 to the overhead cable 12, and the other side by means of a connecting line 25 to the grounded rails 18 of the trackway.

This system is adapted for use with locomotives having electricity generating equipment mounted therein and having an overhead trolley mechanism 28 for engagement with the cable 12.

A canopy 26 is carried by the cross wires 14 above the cable 12 to shield the cable against inclement weather conditions to prevent the formation of ice thereupon. The special section cable system extends to both sides of the crossing 20, on each set of tracks 18, with each end of each such section having an upwardly and outwardly inclined terminal cable portion 32 for receiving the overhead trolley 28 of the locomotive 30 therebeneath as the 3,359,558 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 locomotive approaches and leaves the respective ends of the cable section. In the vicinity of the crossing 20, the overhead cable 34 is elevated so as to provide sufiicient clearance for the passage of high vehicles therebeneath. Each end of this elevated section 34 is provided with an inclined section 36 providing a smooth transition between the overhead cable 12 and the elevated section 34.

Mounted within the cab of the locomotive 30, is a signal lamp 38 which is connected in series with the trolley 28, to provide the locomotive engineer with an indication whenever the locomotive 30 enters the special track section 10, whereupon engagement of the trolley 28 with the cable 12, provides for the transmission of the electricity from the electricity generating equipment of the locomotive through the overhead cable 12 and cross wires 14 to the signal units 22, to warn approaching motorists at the crossing 20 of the approach or presence of the locomotive drawn train in the area. The signals 22 remain energized as the locomotive passes the crossing 20 until it leaves the end of the cable section at the opposite side of the crossing which can be of any convenient distance, depending upon the length of the train usually carried by the trackway.

With reference to FIGURE 4 of the drawing, the systom 10 is shown installed adjacent to a switch gear 40 for operating the switch 42 of the trackway. Theswitch gear 40 may be normally in a predetermined position and responsive to the supply of electrical energy to shift to an adjusted position, in which case the engineer of the locomotive 30 may control the switch gear 40 simply by the throwing of a switch within the cab of the locomotive to either transmit or not transmit electricity. from the locomotive to the overhead cable 12, as may be desired.

It will be recognized that while the system has been illustrated and described in connection with its use for railway crossing signals and the operation of switch gear, it has wide application for use with other types of signalling and control equipment. It will also be recognized that this system has special application and advantages in areas not normally supplied by electrical energy from an external source, thus providing for wide application of use in all types of remote locations. Since the actuation of the auxiliary equipment depends upon the supply of electricity from the locomotive, the locomotive engineer can maintain constant control over the operation of all such auxiliary equipment.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a railway having a trackway for supporting an electricity generating, overhead trolley equipped, locomotive for movement thereon, an electrically responsive railway crossing signal mounted at a railway crossing and adjacent said trackway, an overhead cable supported above said trackway and extending a limited distance to the approaching and departing sides of said crossing, an electrically conducting means extending from a junction with said cable to said crossing signal to conduct current therebetween, said cable being engagable by an overhead trolley of a locomotive approaching and departing from said crossing signal to electrically connect said crossing signal to the generated source of electricity of the locomotive as the locomotive both approaches and departs from the crossing.

2. In a railway as set forth in claim 1, further com prising a signal lamp mounted within said locomotive in series circuit with said trolley to signal to the locomotive engineer the flow of current to said cable and mechanism indicating the contact of said locomotive with the cable.

3. In a railway as set forth in claim 1, further comprising -a canopy supported above said cable protecting said cable against inclement weather conditions.

4. In a railway as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprises an electrically responsive railway switch gear responsive to a flow of electrical energy from the locomotive to control the actuation of said switch gear.

5. In a railway as set forth in claim 1 wherein the two ends of said cable are inclined upwardly away from the trackway to facilitate engagement and disengagement of said overhead trolley with said cable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Van Depoele 191-35 Sosinsi 246-128 Stolp et al 246-126 Miller 246126 Elliott 246174 X Seese 246-126 Hughson 246-134 X Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A RAILWAY HAVING A TRACKWAY FOR SUPPORTING AN ELECTRICITY GENERATING, OVERHEAD TROLLEY EQUIPPED, LOCOMOTIVE FOR MOVEMENT THEREON, AN ELECTRICALLY RESPONSIVE RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL MOUNTED AT A RAILWAY CROSSING AND ADJACENT SAID TRACKWAY, AN OVERHEAD CABLE SUPPORTED ABOVE SAID TRACKWAY AND EXTENDING A LIMITED DISTANCE TO THE APPROACHING AND DEPARTING SIDES OF SAID CROSSING, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MEANS EXTENDING FROM A JUNCTION WITH SAID CABLE TO SAID CROSSING SIGNAL TO CONDUCT CURRENT THEREBETWEEN, SAID CABLE BEING ENGAGABLE BY AN OVERHEAD TROLLEY OF A LOCOMOTIVE APPROACHING AND DEPARTING FROM SAID CROSSING SIGNAL TO ELECTRICALLY CONNECT SAID CROSSING SIGNAL TO THE GENERATED SOURCE OF ELECTRICALLY OF THE LOCOMOTIVE AS THE LOCOMOTIVE BOTH APPROACHES AND DEPARTS FROM THE CROSSING. 